Pieter's photographs
Hermeneutic analysis: The second photograph ( 'book in window sill') marks a turning-point in his photo story. Pieter switches to more direct reflection and becomes more concrete and specific as to the content of his feelings and thoughts. There is a subtle development in the plot that shows increasing agency of the narrator. With his third photograph Pieter comes to this conclusion: “My goal is to develop more self-confidence and demask the plan of the secret government or to realize that this is part of my disease and that there is no secret government”. In Pieter’s story façades play a transitory role. Initially his use of imagery from nature portrayed a polished story, lacking depth and with a make-believe quality to it. This façade protected him from premature self-disclosure. After reaching a turning point, in the second series of photo group sessions, Pieter came out from behind the shining imagery to tell of his delusions and raw suffering. He was able to find a way of dealing with this.
The function of the photo story: Pieter benefits from his participation in the photography group in two ways: he finds meaning in his life story and at the same time he learns from this exercise in openness and connecting with others. Overcoming his reticence, he found an inner locus of control over things: medication, becoming more self-confident and learning to master his fears. Visualising this in strong, emotionally “dense” photographs seemed to help Pieter to anchor this insight in his consciousness. Talking about it and sharing it with others made him feel less alone. The very image that eventually stood for newly won freedom, Pieter sitting on a fence, which in itself is a metaphor for façades, also served him, at an earlier stage, to present himself as someone who is “strong but alone.” The image reflects him as being inapproachable. Only through elaborating on his fears during the second series of the photo group sessions did this acquire emotional depth.
